Clasp device for loose leaf papers



Nov. 25, 1958 e. P. SAVIOLIDES 1,

CLASP DEVICE FOR LOOSE LEAF PAPERS m m a m m 1 m Filed April 13, 1956United States Patent CLASP DEVICE FOR LOOSE LEAF PAPERS I George P.Saviolides, New York, N. Y. Application April 13, 1956, Serial N0.578,008 1 Claim. (Cl, 24-66) This invention relates to clasp devices andmore particularly to devices to hold loose leaf papers such as the loosepages ofnewspapers together.

It has been found in practice that the loose pages of newspapers arevery difiicult to handle, in particular in restricted places where thenewspaper cannot be completely unfolded.

The present invention has as one of its objects the provision of meansenabling the clasping together of loose leaf pages in particular thosewhich are provided with a crease or fold line, so that the loose leaveswill not come apart or are displaced with respect to each other afterthey were disposed in registry and in superposed position to each other.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means affordinga secure retention of creased loose leaf papers in perfectly superposedand registered position to each other, whereby any injury or damage tothe papers will be effectively avoided.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide meansfacilitating a ready and easy manufacture of a clasp device which may beobtained through a single working operation and from a single piece ofmaterial, be it metal or plastic or plastic composition.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide meansrendering the possiblity of suspending clasped loose leaf papers fromany desired fastener or support and without the necessity of taking thestacked papers apart.

The invention further lends itself to the application of advertising orother indicia so that the clasp according to the present invention maybe employed as a premium article.

These and other objects of the invention will become further apparentfrom the following detailed description, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a claspdevice made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section of the clasp device ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the device taken along lines 33 of Fig. 2;I

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the device taken along lines 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically the clasp device of n Fig. 1 in appliedcondition along the fold line of a stack ofloose leaf papers.

Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically the device as applied and seen in Fig. 5in suspended condition.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is disclosed inFig. 1 a clasp 10 shown in elevation having the flat and relativelyshort front portion 11 and the somewhat longer rearward portion 12. Thefront portion 11 is integrally connected to the rearward portion by aloop portion 13 which extends from the upper part of rearward portion 12above and forwardly beyond ice] front portion 11, as more clearly seenin Fig. 2. Rearward portion 12 is provided at its uppermost end with anopening 14 for a purpose later described.

Front and rearward portions 11, 12 are, respectively, provided withinwardly turned indentations 15, 16, which are worked from or struck outofthe material of said front and rearward portions 11, 12.

Fig. 1 shows these struck-out indentations 15, 16 disposed in aparticular S-shaped pattern to each other. These indentations havepreferably rounded upper ends 15a, 16a as seen in Figs. 1 and 3 but areso positioned with their free ends 15a, 16a to each other, that theysomewhat overlap in lateral direction as seen in Fig. 2, whereby anewspaper 20 to which clasp 10 may be applied, as schematically shown inFig. 5, will be undisplaceably held together or embraced with its loosesheets 17, 18, 19 in superposed position.

. Thelowermost end 21' of the shorter front portion 11 is somewhattapered in order to facilitate easy insertion of the clasp'10 along foldline 22 and between the top sheet and the rear sheet of said stack ofpapers 20.

If it is desired to use the clasp 10 in connection with newspapers to beclasped together and then suspended either directly from a hook 23 or bymeans of a string 24 and hook 23, opening 14 is used to suspend saidclasp from a fastener, such as hook 23, in a manner as illustrated inFig. 6.

The clasp may be made from metal, plastic or plastic composition havingpreferably resilient or spring properties whereby the clasp in appliedcondition will hold any stack of loose leaf papers together inundisplaceable superposed position and without damage to the surfaces ofthe clamped loose papers.

If it is desired to withdraw the clasp from the stack of papers, thenthe lower end 21 of front portion 11 is lifted in the direction of arrowA so that the clasp can then be removed from said stack by outwardsliding movement. v

It is well understood, that the surface of the clasp device 10 may carryon its front face any indicia or advertising medium 25 as indicated.

The upper loop portion 13 may be so shaped that it aids in the liftingof the lowermost end of the front portion 11 when the holder 10 is to beapplied to a stack of loose leaf papers as hereinabove described; thusloop portion 13 acts also as a handle. The clasp or holder device 10 issubstantially uniform in its width throughout its length but for thetapered end 21 of the front portion 11.

The overlap arrangement of adjacent struck-out and inwardly directedindentations or ridges 15, 16 with respect to each other, as seen inendwise direction of holder 10 (Fig. 2) will prevent any accidental lossof the clasp device when the same is applied to the stack of loose leafpapers, as seen in Fig. 5.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance with thepresent invention a clasp device for securing a stack of loose leafpapers along superpositioned fold lines thereof comprising asubstantially U- shaped holder of substantially uniform width throughoutits length and having a front portion, a rearward portion, a loopportion integrally connecting said rearward portion with said frontportion and extending forwardly beyond the surface of said frontportion, and round-ended ridges struck out of and bent inwardly fromsaid front portion andforwardly from said rearward portion within thespace between said front portion and said rearward portion to therebyfrictionally engage said stacked loose leaf papers when located withinsaid space and in contact with said round-ended ridges, adjacent ridgesextending into said space overlapping each other as seen in endwisedirection of said holder and being disposed in staggered relation toeach other, whereby said ridges come to lie in contact with theuppermost and lowermost loose leaf papers of said stack to hold sametogether.

Various changes and'rnodifications may" be niade without departing fromthe spirit and scope of thepre'sent invention audit is intended thatsuch obvious changes and modificationsbeembraced by the, annexed claim.

Having thus described'the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A clasp device for'securing a stack of loose leaf papers alongsuperpositioned fold lines thereof comprising a substantially U-shapedholder of substantially uniform width throughout its length and having afront portion, a rearward portion,- a loop portion integrally connectingsaid rearward portion with said front portion and extending forwardlybeyond the surface of said front portion to form a handle for saidholder, and roundended ridges disposed to extend rearwardly from saidfront portion and forwardly from said rearward portion within the spacebetween said front portion and said rearward portion to therebyfrictionally engage said stacked loose leaf papers when located withinsaid space and in contact with said round-ended ridges, adjacent ridgesextending into said space overlapping each other as seen in endwisedirection of said holder and being disposed in staggered relation toeach other, whereby said ridges come to lie in contact with theuppermost and lowermost loose leaf papers of said stack to hold sametogether, said front portion being shorter than said rearward portion tofacilitate insertion of said papers into said space into which saidround-ended ridges extend.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS717,722 Strickland Jan. 6, 1903 1,664,716 Wiberg Apr. 3, 1928 FOREIGNPATENTS 16,718' Great Britain of 1910 116,408 Great Britain of 1918537,445 Germany of 1931

